# Is "Coraline" by Neil Gaiman & Dave McKean a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Coraline by Neil Gaiman & Dave McKean (HarperCollins, 2002) is identified by: Both the US HarperCollins and UK Bloomsbury hardcovers were published in 2002. Both editions are dated 2002 and precedence is genuinely debated among collectors; the US HarperCollins first is the one most often cited as the true first, in part because it carries the McKean illustrations the UK edition lacks.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Both the US HarperCollins and UK Bloomsbury hardcovers were published in 2002
- The US HarperCollins first printing carries a full number line ending in 1 and includes the Dave McKean interior illustrations; the UK Bloomsbury first edition omits the McKean illustrations
- Correct publisher/imprint: HarperCollins

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Neil Gaiman & Dave McKean |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
| Year | 2002 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Comic / graphic novel |
| Key point | Both the US HarperCollins and UK Bloomsbury hardcovers were published in 2002 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Both the US HarperCollins and UK Bloomsbury hardcovers were published in 2002. The US HarperCollins first printing carries a full number line ending in 1 and includes the Dave McKean interior illustrations; the UK Bloomsbury first edition omits the McKean illustrations.

## Is this the true first?
Both editions are dated 2002 and precedence is genuinely debated among collectors; the US HarperCollins first is the one most often cited as the true first, in part because it carries the McKean illustrations the UK edition lacks. Signed and limited editions exist.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club and film-tie-in editions are later; gift and anniversary editions are first-thus for their format, not the first edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Coraline* by Neil Gaiman & Dave McKean a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/coraline-neil-gaiman-da
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.